PHOTOS: Young Indonesian Woman Caned In Public For Having Sex Outside Marriage - Then Carried Off On A Stretcher After She Collapsed

A young woman is brought to the public stage in Banda Aceh and forced down on to her knees for her punishment for having sex outside of marriage

Cowering on her knees after being whipped across the back, this Indonesian woman has just been caned in public for having sex outside marriage. The young woman was brought to the public stage in Banda Aceh and forced down on to her knees by two guards.

A masked man then repeatedly canes her across the back as she clenches her fists and appears to bite her veil while receiving her punishment.

Clenching her fist and biting her veil, a masked man repeatedly strikes her across the back after she is accused of breaking Sharia law

The woman can be seen crying out in agony as she is whipped by the masked man while the public look on

The woman can also been seen crying out in agony, and after the punishment is over, she has to be led away on a stretcher for treatment. A public caning is just one of the punishments handed out to people breaking Sharia law in Banda Aceh, the only province in Indonesia, where it is still followed closely.

Sharia law is the legal system of Islam which is derived from both the Koran and the rulings of the religion's scholars. It acts as a code that all Muslims are adhered to live to and include rules of prayers, fasting and donations to the poor and covers both public and private behaviour.

After her punishment is over, the young woman is so weak she has to be carried from the stage on a stretcher

Pictures also show crowds gathering to watch another two men also receive the same punishment for having sex outside of marriage. One man can be seen grimacing as the cane strikes his back while another tries to balance on crutches as he receives his punishment.

Islamic laws have been strengthened since the province struck a peace deal with the central government in 2005. Last month, the local government banned Valentine's Day celebrations, including giving cards or chocolates, deeming it an 'unlawful act' under Sharia law.

Also receiving a whipping punishment is a man, accused of the same crime under strict Sharia Law

Earlier this year, Banda Aceh also banned women from entertainment venues after 11pm unless they are accompanied by a husband or male family member. In 2015, a district in Aceh enacted a bylaw requiring schools to teach boys and girls separately, and another banned women from straddling motorcycles when riding with a driver.

More than 90 per cent of Indonesians describe themselves as Muslim, but the vast majority practise a moderate form of the faith.